Whiffletree-hook.



No. 720,556. PATENTED FEB. 17*.

. E. K. BRAY & R. 'H. SEEGAR.

WHIFFLETREE HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

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EVERETT K. BRAY AND ROBERT H. SEEGAR, OF OCOEE, FLORIDA.

WHlFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 720,556, dated February 17, 1903.

. Application filed December 5,1902. Serial No. 134,041. (No model.)

To all whom itmay concern;

Be it known that we, EVERETT K. BRAY and ROBERT HJSEEGAR, citizens of the United States, residing at Ocoee, in the county of Orange and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Whiffletree-Hook,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in whiffletree-hooks; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts more specifically set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of our invention is to provide a hook with which a trace can be quickly and conveniently engaged and from which it may be as quickly and conveniently disengaged, when desired, accidental disengagement of such trace being prevented, and, further, to guard against the accidental hooking or catching of the reins therein, the hook being thoroughly reliable under all circumstances and conditions and not readily injured.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hook embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the hook when in normal position.

A represents the whiffletree; B, a clamp or clip secured thereto by screw 0.

D is a hook hung loosely by eye y in eye a: of clip B, an intermediateportion of the shank being enlarged and perforated to form a guide K, extending diagonally therethrough.

F is the feature of our invention and consists of a pin, as shown, having on its outer end a head G and on'its inner end another but smaller head H, whichis upset or formed thereon after pin G is in position in guide K and is just large enough to prevent pin G from being displaced. The pin is seated loosely in guide K, which extends diagonally through the enlargement in the shank of hook D, as shown, in such position that the end H when in normal position coincides with the end E of hook D, but adapted to slide in hole K bygravity to assume the dotted-line position when hook D is raised to a vertical or nearly vertical position.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to engage a trace therein, the hook D is raised to a vertical or nearly vertical position, whereupon the pin G by its own weight slides to dotted-line or open poing pin is provided may be of a diameter slightly in excess of the thickness or width of the'shank of the hook at that point in order to form a suitable grip for withdrawing the pin fromits locking position when this operation should be found more convenient than tilting or raising the hook.

It is obvious that any form of connection having an eye therein to engage eyey of hook D may be substituted forclip B, and we are aware that clips substantially in the form here shown have heretofore been manufactured, and we therefore claim clip B as no part of our invention and limit ourselves to no particular form of device for attaching our hook to a whiffletree. We are further aware that hooks for whiffletrees have heretofore been made very similar in form to hook D and that hooks have been made in various forms with means actuated by spring and links and attached by hinges for the purpose of closing in some manner the throat thereof; but we are not aware that a hook has been made with a pin longitudinally slidable therein by gravity, which construction by the absence of springs and hinges and its extreme simplicity is not liable to get out of order and is both convenient and reliable in operation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. A whiiiletree-hook having a shank provided with a guide in alinement with the extremity of the hook, and a gravity-closin g pin mounted in said guide.

2. A whiffletree-hook having a shankprovided with a guide in alinement with the extremity of the hook, and a gravity-actuated throat-closing pin fitted in said guide and In testimony that We claim the foregoingas 10 headed at its extremities to prevent displaoeour own We have hereto affixed our signatures ment thereof. in the presence of two Witnesses.

3. A whiffietree-hook havin a shank r0- 5 Vided With a guide in alinemel lt with the extremity of the hook, and a throat-closing pin mounted in said guide and having its outer Witnesses: end provided with a grip projecting beyond G. P. BRANNON, the lateral surfaces of the shank. WVILL. HOWARD. 

